Overall, Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is an impressive platformer with engaging mechanics, a charming cast of characters, and plenty of challenges to keep you hooked. The lighthearted tone and challenging gameplay make it stand out among other platformers and should be up there with Mario and Sonic. If you loved the first game, you’ll feel right at home, and if you’re new to the series, this sequel is a perfect place to start. It’s safe to say that Grapple Dogs continues to be a very good dog, and this latest adventure deserves all the head rubs.
Ultimately, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra borrows heavily from the arcade beat ’em up playbook, but almost to its detriment. Fans of the franchise will likely enjoy some moments of nostalgic fun, especially in co-op mode, but the game suffers from overly long levels, repetitive combat, and a lackluster story. I found myself wanting to like it more than I did, but it just didn’t have enough spark to keep me hooked. If you have a buddy to join in for co-op, it can elevate the experience slightly, but as a solo adventure, it’s a bit of a slog. There was so much potential here for a great nostalgia trip, but in the end, Wrath of Cobra is just another run-of-the-mill beat ’em up.
The Jackbox Naughty Pack is a fine bundle of games. There are only three, so it is light on the variety, but it is just a fun little morsel to tide you over till the eventual Jackbox Party Pack 11. It is an M-rated game, and the prompts and artwork really nail that M-rating. If you have kids or usually play these games with kids, maybe skip this one. But you know your kids best, though, so if you’re ok with them playing Jackbox with these sexual tones in the prompts, then by all means, have a blast with them! Think of this as a few Jackbox games with the tone of Cards Against Humanity. There are hours of fun to be had with this Naughty Pack, which I would recommend adding to your game night rotations.
After ten years, you’d think I would feel it’s time to hand up the cape and move on, but this series is just too much fun, and this expansion has proven that. If Bungie continues to deliver on this level of quality, Destiny 2 will have a long and exciting future ahead, paving the way for a potential Destiny 3.
House Flipper 2 is a worthy successor to the original game, offering an enhanced and more polished experience for fans of the genre. This gaming experience is as rewarding as it is enjoyable. Its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay mechanics, and charming emails will delight both newcomers and returning players alike. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of flipping houses or indulging in extreme home makeovers, House Flipper 2 is the game for you. Just be prepared to lose track of time as you immerse yourself in its addictive gameplay loop.
All in all, Lake: Season’s Greetings is a solid choice of prequel DLC that takes everything I enjoyed in the base games and gives me more of it. I found the new characters entertaining while enjoying learning more about the characters I came to know from the original game. But mostly, the short runtime does the DLC a solid by not making your time in Providence Oaks feel like a slog. As I mentioned earlier, if you enjoyed the original Lake, you’ll undoubtedly get some warm and fuzzy feelings playing Season’s Greetings. If you want that nice and cozy experience, do what I did: grab some fuzzy socks, a mug filled with hot cocoa, and deliver some mail. The only way the experience would have been better is if snow was falling outside my own window.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 is an excellent bundle of games. There are hours of fun to be had here, and you better believe the laughs and finger-pointing accompanying the Party Packs are here, too. With both Tee K.O. and the new Dodo Re Mi included in Jackbox Party Pack 10, you must absolutely include this Party Pack into your game night itineraries!
Turn10 has another hit on their hands in Motorsport. Where the previous three may have slowly descended with tricks like cards and boosts and the like, Forza Motorsport in 2023 gets us back to what matters: the racing, and with the focus on the CaRPG, ties us even closer to the cars we love to drive. Turn10 plans for this to be an ever-growing game, a live-service title if you will, so if Forza Motorsport is excellent now, one can only imagine how much better this will be down the road.
Assassin's Creed Mirage offers an engaging experience, blending historical accuracy with the intrigue of the Assassin's Creed series. While the graphics are crisp, they may not represent a significant leap from the previous title, Valhalla. The shift towards a more stealth-focused gameplay mechanic is a welcome return to the series' roots, although combat mechanics could benefit from some refinement. The upgrade system aligns with Valhalla's mechanics and doesn't overload you with weapon choices. However, the game is marred by frustrating checkpoint issues, stronghold respawn mechanics I don't like, and occasional merchant prompt problems. Despite these drawbacks, Mirage successfully brings the series back to its stealthy origins and provides an enjoyable gaming experience for fans of the franchise like myself.
LEGO 2K Drive is a delightful racing game that offers an immersive and entertaining experience for players of all ages. The game’s responsive karts, seamless vehicle switching, and arcade-like physics make driving through the LEGO world an absolute blast. The multiplayer options in LEGO 2K Drive ensure that the fun can be shared with friends near and far, both in cooperative and competitive modes. The extensive vehicle selection, coupled with the creative freedom of the Garage Mode, provides endless possibilities for customization and personalization. Overall, LEGO 2K Drive delivers a memorable and enjoyable racing adventure that captures the spirit of LEGO and guarantees hours of entertainment for all.
Despite its struggles, I did love God of Rock’s charm. Its roster is a colorful mix of characters like the comic artist Edith or the carefree spirit Lyn, both of which were the two I completed the game with. I enjoyed some of the unique interactions during the arcade intros and the banter between characters before the matches began. The game’s stage designs were pretty to look at, too, at least during the start and end of rounds. I don’t think God of Rock will hold anyone’s attention, which is sad because I feel like something is here. It’s just that the implementation was not executed well. I struggled to want to play when I’m normally itching to repeat songs in a standard rhythm game. It’s clear Modus Games put a lot of love into God of Rock, so it hurts me that I did not enjoy my time with this game. I hope some changes can come down the pipeline to fix some of these issues, specifically the UI button icons.
I enjoyed my time with Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator. It’s definitely a simulator, but it’s not overly complex like some in the genre tend to become. With the management aspect and how detailed some of the recipes are, it offers that depth simulators genuinely capture while simultaneously keeping the actual cooking and plating something fun and enjoyable. The story could be better, but again, something that should make or break your decision in this genre. An essential aspect of being a chef is having pride in your work and seeing the customer enjoy their experience; Chef Life captures this and does this well.
Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion doesn’t make a good first impression, but beneath that Lightfall story is still a satisfying game, a game that keeps me coming back infinitely and beyond the grasp of any other title.
Terra Nil is a fun game to enjoy at your own pace. For taking a game genre and flipping it on its head, it’s done well and feels like a natural fit in the city builder genre. It’s also quite peaceful and fits the bill of being what most are now casually calling cozy games. The idea of turning these wastelands into paradises is a great one that also instills a sense of pride in your work.
Outside of the time period, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a cut-and-dry copy of any other Like a Dragon title before it. Luckily, that is an entertaining formula. If you found those other titles a chore, stay away from Ishin! Although the ancient Japanese setting might be enough for you.
Even with the time constraints, I enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Garden In!, and the “Gotta Plant them All” goal of getting all the seeds. Unfortunately, I would be giving the real-time growing a pass if it were on mobile versus my PC, where it’s more of a detriment. I want to spend a few hours playing a game on my PC, not a few minutes. When I boot up a game through Steam, I want to sit down and be engrossed. Relaxing or not, I’ve dedicated time to play, so let’s play; Garden In! doesn’t do that for me. With all that said, I absolutely do recommend giving this one a go if you want something calm and relaxing to entertain your fingers and stimulate the mind for a few minutes.
The Jackbox Party Pack 9 is an excellent bundle of games. There are hours of fun and hilarity to be had with this latest Party Pack, and another reason why the Jackbox Party Pack games need to be included in your game library.
I sincerely enjoyed my time with Autonauts and could see anyone with no programming knowledge to that of a pro programmer having a good time here. With the added combat, that adds a whole new group of people who could potentially enjoy this series now as well! There is a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s fun to learn. Plus, resource management is still a hoot to manage. Building up your little outpost and getting the automation going is as enjoyable as it was in its first installment, and the added battles against the Piratebots are neat. Autonauts vs. Piratebots is a title that will readily eat at your brain when you’re not playing. You’ll sit there and start thinking of everything you could possibly do to make your assembly line more efficient or how to program your bots in ways to maximize output, and I think that’s a sign of a well-made automation game.
Overall, Lego Bricktales is one of the closest LEGO building experiences I’ve come across, with something like LEGO Worlds in that same camp. With the added collectibles to find and the presented story, it gives this game some fun bits to do outside of the actual building. The game could be fun for a younger audience, but with the lack of voice acting and the physics puzzle possibly being a little too advanced, this is more of an older LEGO enthusiast’s adventure. Regardless it’s still a fun time to be had.
Overall, The Cowabunga Collection is a near-perfect representation of what a fan wants out of the package. 13 great games, an incredible amount of bonus content, and adding optional enhancements make The Cowabunga Collection well worth the $39.99 asking price.